By Angela Bambala Bwalya
Power Dynamos head coach Osward Mutapa has challenged his side to improve their finishing as the defending champions prepare to host Nchanga Rangers in Sunday’s MTN Super League encounter at Arthur Davies Stadium.
The Kitwe giants will be eager to get their title defence back on track after suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Konkola Blades on the opening day, while Nchanga Rangers also head into the Matchday Two fixture seeking a response following a narrow 1-0 home loss to Zanaco.
With both sides looking to register their first points of the campaign, Mutapa believes his team must be clinical in front of goal and solid defensively if they are to secure victory.
“We have to play our best football. We have to score. We have to defend very well,” Mutapa said, acknowledging that his side faces a difficult assignment.
“There are no easy games anymore. But we are champions; we just have to apply ourselves very well.”
Power Dynamos will enjoy home advantage, but Mutapa knows his players must deliver a performance worthy of the reigning champions as they seek to make amends for their opening-day disappointment.
“First home game, like I’ve said, we need to show why we are champions. Play to the best of our abilities,” he said.
The defending champions have a relatively strong recent record against Nchanga Rangers, winning five of their last 10 meetings, with four draws and just one victory for the Chingola-based side.
However, Mutapa has stressed that creating opportunities will count for little unless his players can convert them into goals.
“This is a team that creates chances. We create chances, we have to score. But, like I’ve said, it will be a tough game. We are home, so make use of home advantage and play to win,” he added.
Power Dynamos could also have more options available, with some players returning from injury as the technical bench prepares to select its final squad for the encounter.
Mutapa said the coaching staff would assess the available players before naming the strongest possible group for the match.
“We have the human resource available at any given time, so we just have to pick from what we have available. Yes, others have come in, but finally we have to pick the best 20 for the game tomorrow,” he said.
Beyond Sunday’s fixture, Power Dynamos face a demanding schedule, with another match scheduled for Wednesday before returning to action on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Mutapa is confident his team can cope with the congested programme, drawing on its experience of balancing domestic football with CAF competitions last season.
“We have done this before, especially last season. We had so many games, CAF games plus league games. We handled that very well. We should be able to handle this as well,” he said.
The Power Dynamos coach has also appealed to the club’s supporters to turn out in numbers and rally behind the team as it seeks its first victory of the campaign.
“As always, come in numbers, give the team the moral support that they need,” he urged.
Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 hours at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe, with Power Dynamos hoping to turn their chances into goals and get their title defence back on track.
